Fernando Hortal Foronda is a Researcher at VVA Economics & Policy.

Fernando has a thorough and proven knowledge of EU policies and expertise in a wide range of policy areas including Brexit, European policymaking, home affairs and social policy.

Fernando has collected data via interviews, surveys and focus groups and has conducted evaluations, impact assessment and other supported studies. He has also led and supported many studies for the European Commission (i.e. DG HOME, DG EMPL, DG EAC), decentralised agencies (EUROPOL) and government institutions of EU Member States. His expertise lies in research methods, Brexit, European policy-making, home affairs and social policy. Fernando’s experience and interests also lay in institutional and international affairs, public opinion, and polarisation and disinformation.

In his previous roles, as a research assistant at RAND Europe, Schuman trainee at the European Parliament Research Service, research assistant at Generation Brexit and research assistant at the Barcelona Institute of International Studies, Fernando drafted publications, conducted desk research, carried out focus groups and in-depth interviews, and did statistical analysis to support research projects inter alia.

Fernando hold a MSc in European Studies (Research) from the London School of Economics and a BSc (Hons) in Philosophy, Politics and Economics jointly awarded by Pompeu Fabra University, Carlos III University and the Autonomous University of Madrid.

Fernando is a Spanish and Catalan native speaker, is proficient in English, and has good knowledge of German. He is currently learning French.

In his free time, Fernando likes to play chess, attend opera and classical music recitals, travel and both devour and write journalistic articles.